Premier Cricket: former state player new captain of St Kilda

Victorian Premier Cricket club St Kilda has a new captain, appointing former Victorian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Crosthwaite.

HE won’t keep. Adam Crosthwaite gave up the gloves a while ago.

But the former first-class player will skipper St Kilda in the 2019-20 Victorian Premier Cricket season.

Crosthwaite, 34, agreed to terms with the Saints last Friday and will assume the captaincy from former Test spinner Michael Beer, who will continue to play.

“Exciting for us to get a player of ‘Crossy’s’ experience and with his leadership. Very exciting,’’ coach Glenn Lalor said this morning.

“We got wind that he was potentially coming to Melbourne, and we spoke and he’s joined us. It’s all happened pretty quickly.’’

Crosthwaite met a few of his new teammates for a drink at the Beach Hotel in Albert Park yesterday afternoon.

Crosthwaite played 31 first-class matches, making his debut for Victoria in 2004-05 against Tasmania, his Vic teammates for the fixture including Shane Warne, Ian Harvey and Brad Hodge.

But he never quite pinned down the keeping role and in 2009 he headed to NSW in search of greater opportunity.

Another move came when Crosthwaite crossed to South Australia.

Adam Crosthwaite was a prolific runmaker for Manly-Warringah.

His last Shield match was for SA against Victoria in 2011-12.

Crosthwaite also had a Big Bash stint with the Adelaide Strikers.

He was a prolific runmaker for Manly-Warringah in Sydney Grade cricket, in the 2017-18 season taking his aggregate past 6000.

His 2014-15 was coated in gold: 1076 runs at 63.29, with a highest score of 201 not out.

Crosthwaite’s return to Melbourne and signing at St Kilda means he will resume a Premier Cricket career that began at Richmond in 2001-02.

He played 64 matches for the Tigers, scoring 2032 runs at 36.94, with five centuries, and having 107 dismissals.

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“He’s been a super cricketer, a seasoned cricketer, played cricket at a high level for a long time,’’ Lalor said.

“He’ll fit in very nicely with our younger players. He brings a voice to our kids that we’re going to have every week. In previous years we’ve lost ‘Beery’ and ‘Bobbie’ (Rob Quiney) to Big Bash and it’s a tough time for the club, that Big Bash period when our representatives go away.’’

Lalor said emerging wicketkeeper-batsman Patrick Rowe would be an obvious beneficiary of Crosthwaite’s arrival to St Kilda.